PCRF - Medical Shipments

Wheelchair Distributions & other medical shipments

The PCRF is committed to helping local institutions in the Middle East get the resources to further their medical services for poor and needy patients throughout the region. Since 1993, The PCRF has sent millions of dollars worth of donated wheelchairs, medical supplies and equipment to Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria. We hope to continue to send many more shipments in the future in order to help the local institutions raise the level of treatment that is available to the sick and injured children who have no where else to look for help.

PCRF Distributes Wheelchairs in Hebron, Bethlehem
In early November, the PCRF distributed nearly 200 wheelchairs for disabled youths in the West Bank towns of Bethlehem and Hebron. The PCRF has held several wheelchair shipments in Gaza and the West Bank in 2007, mostly in cooperation with the Latter Day Saint's Charities, who bring in chairs and the PCRF distribute them through our local social workers. In the coming months, the PCRF will hold distributions for disabled youths in the refugee camps of Syria and Gaza as part of our ongoing effort to ensure that every Palestinian child in need of a wheelchair gets one.

Disabled children in Central Gaza get help
At the end of July, The PCRF coordinated with several associations in order to host its most recent wheelchair distribution in the Central Gaza district of the Gaza Strip. The children that were chosen for the distribution were selected according to their economic situation and their specific disability. The distribution was received well by the dozens of families whose child benefited from it. They were all very grateful to the PCRF and the donors that made it all possible.

Wheelchair Distribution in Northern Gaza
Dozens of poor and disabled youths in the northern Gaza Strip were provided free wheelchairs on June 4th, in cooperation with the Latter Day Saints Charities out of Salt Lake City. These chairs were provided to poor people who were in need of chairs and qualified medically and financially. The PCRF has distributed thousands of wheelchairs in Palestine, Lebanon and Syria over the past few years, including a distribution last week in Jenin. Future distributions are planned, as there remain thousands more people in need.

Wheelchair Distribution in Jenin
On May 28th, the PCRF began a week of distributing over 200 wheelchairs for poor and needy handicapped persons in the Jenin area of the West Bank. A 40-foot container was shipped from the US back in March for Palestine and cleared through Israeli customs by ANERA. The PCRF covered all costs and distributed the chairs locally in Jenin through our local staff for people in need. Three American volunteers traveled to Jenin to distribute the chairs -- Greg Skolaski, Tom Glumac and David Richards. All three have been to Palestine through the PCRF in the past and are important for fitting the right chair for every child in need.

PCRF Begins First Phase of Wheelchair Distribution
In the beginning of May, The PCRF began its first phase of its wheelchair distribution in the Central Gaza section of the Gaza Strip. So far, nearly 60 needy, disabled people were fitted with high-quality wheelchairs. The second phase of this distribution is scheduled to start in the coming weeks, when The PCRF will provide more chairs to needy people in Central Gaza, as well as other parts of Gaza. The distribution was made possible through the help of Latter Day Saints Charities, who donated the chairs.

PCRF Distributes Wheelchairs in Tulkarem
On May 10, the distributed highly specialized wheelchairs for disabled children in Tulkarem. This is part of a larger shipment of wheelchairs sent by the PCRF in cooperation with Hope Haven International and ANERA. The PCRF has partnered with Hope Haven in providing high-quality chairs for Palestinian children for years. Dick Stepan, a Hope Haven volunteer from Montana, fit over 30 children with chairs. He has been to Palestine through the PCRF many times over the past few years.

The PCRF Distributes More Wheelchairs in Lebanon, Syria
In the end of January, the PCRF distributed quality wheelchairs to disabled refugees in Lebanon and Syria. The distribution was headed by Gred Skolaski, who has teamed up with the PCRF for many distributions througout the years in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria. January's distribution, which was held in three different refugee camps in Lebanon, provided over one hundred needy refugees with the wheelchairs. Another 110 wheelchairs were later distributed by the local UNRWA staff to refugees in Syria, as the PCRF was unable to distribute them there.

Wheelchair Distribution in Ramallah
On November 28, the PCRF began distributing 350 wheelchairs donated by The Church of Latter Day Saints to disabled people in the West Bank. Working in the Beituni building in Ramallah, people from all over came for chairs that were otherwise not available to them. 350 chairs were also donated to Gaza and will be distributed later in the month.

Wheelchair shipment to Hebron and Bethlehem
On September 15, a team of volunteers from Hope Haven International arrived in the West Bank town of Hebron to begin a week of distribution of wheelchairs to poor disabled children. This is the third large wheelchair distribution by the PCRF in the West Bank this year, the other two being a container in Nablus and another in Jenin. Part of this shipment was sponsored by Islamic Relief in Los Angeles. Two volunteers from Hope Haven -- Greg Skolaski and Tom Glumac -- ran the distribution. Both have been in Palestine through the PCRF before.

The PCRF & Hope Haven Distribute More Wheelchairs In Palestine
On June 5, 2005 a three-member team of American volunteers distributed wheelchairs for disabled and handicapped people in the Jenin district. The mission was sent by the PCRF, through a grant from the Austrian Diplomatic Mission in Ramallah. The chairs were donated by Hope Haven International, an American charity who has worked with the PCRF in sending a dozen wheelchairs to Palestine and refugees in Lebanon and Syria over the past several years. The shipment was cleared by ANERA and distributed directly to disabled people in Jenin with the support of several local NGOs, as well as the governor of Jenin. This was the third large container of wheelchairs sent to Palestine in 2005 by the PCRF. Another container is to be sent to Hebron in September.

Wheelchair Shipment is Distributed in Northern West Bank
In Late February, 2005, the PCRF sent a 40-foot container of wheelchairs for free distribution in the northern West Bank. This was part of our ongoing effort to identify and provide every disabled person in Palestine a free quality wheelchair. Already, over 1,000 people have received wheelchairs in Palestine over the past 5 years through the PCRF, in cooperation with Hope Haven International. These shipments are cleared through ANERA and this distribution took place in Nablus on February 20-22 at the Zafer Masri Foundation. Smaller shipments were also sent to Jenin and Tulkarem. Three volunteers from Hope Haven distributed the chairs to needy people -- Greg Skolaski, David Richards and Richard Stepan. The PCRF is also shipping another container for Jenin in late Spring.

Wheelchair Team Distributes Chairs in Gaza
On December 10, 2004, a two-member American team traveled to Gaza for a three-day distribution of wheelchairs for disabled people throughout the Gaza Strip. The team volunteered for the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, a Ramallah-based NGO who have been bringing medical missions to Palestine and sending children abroad for free medical care for over ten years. The 200 wheelchairs were given to both children and adults in two different distributions for northern Gaza and the central and southern Gaza area. ANERA in East Jerusalem helped to clear the chairs and bring them into the country, and Hope Haven in the US were responsible for sending the chairs.

PCRF Provides Many More Injured, Handicapped with Wheelchairs in Palestine
On March 27th, 2004, Greg Skolaski, a technical volunteer from Hope Haven International, went to the Gaza Strip to distribute a 40-foot container of wheelchairs to disabled and handicapped Palestinians. Greg has worked with the PCRF on many missions to Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria over the past few years. The shipment was sponsored by the PCRF-DC committee in Washington, who raised the funds to cover the shipping and purchasing of these chairs. The distribution provided nearly 200 poor people quality chairs, including many specialized chairs for children, as well as other orthopedic supplies. See wheelchair list

PCRF Ships Wheelchairs to Refugees in Lebanon
On January 1st, 2004, a two-member team of American volunteers distributed free wheelchairs to disabled Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. This shipment was sent by the PCRF to Lebanon through the Norwegian People's Aid (NPA), who assisted in distributing the chairs to nearly 200 recipients in camps throughout the country. These are disabled people, many of them children, who otherwise would not be able to afford a chair. The chairs are from Hope Haven International in Iowa, and is the eighth shipment of chairs to the Middle East by Hope Haven and the PCRF over the past 5 years. Other shipments have gone to the West Bank, Gaza and Syria, including two containers over the past six months, and one that arrived in Gaza in January 2004. The volunteers are Greg Skolaski and Tom Sumac, who have both volunteered on previous missions to fit patients with the correct chairs. Wheelchair list 1|2|3

PCRF Sends Shipment of Wheelchairs to Nablus, Jenin, Tulkarem
In October, 2003 the PCRF sent another container of over 200 wheelchairs to the West Bank in order to distribute them to handicapped children and people in Nablus, Jenin and Tulkarem. The PCRF worked in association with Hope Haven International once again, whose team of specialists, lead by Mark Richards, was able to fit dozens of poor handicapped children and people with wheelchairs. The 9-member team had to overcome several obsticles during their mission including military closures and a port strike. Specialist Greg Skolaski returned to Palestine at the beginning of December in order finish distributing the remainder of the chairs that were not able to be distributed due the closure and strike.

PCRF Ships Wheelchairs to West Bank
On August 8th, 2003, a container of nearly 200 wheelchairs arrived in Bethlehem and Ramallah for distribution to poor handicapped children and people in the West Bank. Hope Haven International Ministries donated these high-quality chairs to the PCRF for distribution as part of their ongoing relationship for helping disabled and handicapped children in Palestine. It is the sixth shipments the two have worked together on sending to the region and will send more shipments in the coming months. See wheelchair list |Thank you letter to PCRF

Donated Books Mark the Beginnning of New Cardiac Library
In early February, 2003 the IPCRO donated over two dozen medical books to the Palestinian Ministry of Heath in association with the PCRF's attempts to further educate the local medical staff in the specialty of cardiac surgery. The goal is to continue to establish an extensive library dealing in cardiac surgery where the local medical staff can continue to teach, study and learn on their own. See list of books donated

The PCRF Provides Hundreds More Needy Children with Wheelchairs
In November, 2002 two 40-foot containers of nearly 300 high-quality wheelchairs were sent by the PCRF to the Society for Disabled Persons in Gaza and The Palestine Red Crescent Society in the West Bank. These chairs will be distributed throughout Palestine to handicapped Palestinians who are too poor to afford these chairs through other sources. The two shipments were donated by Hope Haven International in Iowa, who have donated several shipments through the PCRF to the Middle East in the past, including three to Gaza since 1998 In November, the PCRF sent two wheelchair technicians, Mark Richards and Greg Skolaski, of Hope Haven to Palestine to help in the fitting distribution for patients in need.

PCRF Sends Wheelchairs and Specialist to Help Handicapped Refugees in Syria
In the first quarter of 2002, the PCRF sent a shipment of wheelchairs, as well as specialist Greg Skolaski to Syria in oder to fit many handicapped refugees with the wheelchairs they needed. Working with Hope Have International and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Syria, the PCRF was able to fit dozen of needy refugees with wheelchairs during this weeklong distribution. Many poor refugees that had been waiting years for a quality wheelchair were provided one for free by this shipment.

PCRF Ships Wheelchairs to Handicapped Refugees in Gaza, Syria
In 2001, the PCRF sponsored two containers of donated wheelchairs from the US for handicapped refugees in the Middle East. Both containers were donated by "Hope Haven International" out of Iowa. The first container was a 250 chair shipment that arrived in Gaza in early January. These chairs were given for free by the PCRF, which also sent a small team of technicians form Hope Haven to Gaza to specially fit each handicapped child with their special chair. There are hundreds of poor people in Gaza who do not have access to such items.

In October, 2001, the PCRF shipped a 20-foot container of chairs to UNRWA in Syria. They were distributed to poor refugees in Syria who otherwise do not have access to good quality wheelchairs. The PCRF has sent many shipments in the past to Palestine, Lebanon, and now Syria and we hope to be able to provide poor handicapped children and others free chairs again in the future.

Here is a list of other shipments that we have done in the past:

• Wheelchairs to Gaza: In January, 2001 a 40-foot container of adult and pediatric wheelchairs were sent by the PCRF in cooperation with Hope Haven International to the Gaza Strip. They were distributed to hundreds of poor and handicapped people throughout Gaza.

• Wheelchairs to Gaza: In 1999, the PCRF sent hundreds of donated wheelchairs for free distribution to poor and needy patints in the Gaza Strip. These were donated by Hope Haven International in Iowa and included a team of technicians that went to Gaza to work with local people in adjusting the chairs.

• Shipment of Orthopedic Rehabiliation Supplies: In the Spring of 1998 the PCRF sent a shipment of wheelchairs and rehabilitation supplies and equipment to the three main Rehabiliation centers in Palestine: The Ameera Bassma Pediatric Rehabilitation Center, the K. Abu Raya Spinal Cord Rehabilitation Center and the Bethlehem Arab Rehabilitation Society. These were donated by Wheels of Hope in Ohio.

• Container of Food and Clothing to Lebanon: In April, 1998 the P.C.R.F. shipped a container of dried food and other items for poor children to the Amel Association in Lebanon. This container is donated by the Latter-day Saints Charities in Utah and contains:
* Powdered milk (55 lbs. bags)
* White flour (50 lbs. bags)
* One First Aid Supply module
* One Children's Institutional Supply (Warm Weather) module

• Shipment of disposable medical supplies to the UMPRC: In March, 1998 a shipment of disposable medical supplies was sent by the PCRF to the Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees in Jerusalem, through the Ministry of Health in Gaza. These supplies were provided by the Brother's Brother Foundation in Pittsburgh, PA.

• Orthopedic Supplies to Gaza: In February, 1998 a shipment of orthopedic surgical supplies was sent by the PCRF to Dr. Ala' El-Sheikh at Khan Younis Hospital in Gaza, in coordination with Dr. Rustom Nammeri in Jerusalem. These supplies were donated to the PCRF by Children's Medical Ministries in Crofton, MD.

• Ophthalmic Surgery Supplies to Gaza: In January, 1998 a shipment of opthalmolic supplies were sent to Dr. Majid Abu Ramadan, an eye surgeon at Shifa Hospital in Gaza and a member of the PCRF Medical Advisory Board. These items were donated to the PCRF by S.E.E. International in California and will be used to treat over 50 children with serious eye problems who otherwise would not get quality care.

• Plastic Surgery Equipment and Supplies to Gaza: In December, 1997 a dermatone, tissue expanders and other important surgical equipment was donated to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City by the PCRF through Dr. Michael Peters, a plastic surgeon from San Diego, CA. These instruments were received by Dr. Nafez Abu Shaban and have been used to help improve the quality of care at Shifa.

• Shipment of Medical Equipment and Supplies to the West Bank: In the August of 1997, a shipment donated by the World Medical Relief, Inc. of Detroit, MI was sent by the PCRF to Ameera Bassma Pediatric Rehabilitation Center in East Jerusalem, as well as three institutions in Jenin, The West Bank. Ameera Bassma took a supply of pediatric wheelchairs and Al-Amal Clinic, the Government Hospital of Jenin, and the local Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees spit the rest of the forty foot container.

• Shipment of Medical Equipment to Bethlehem: In July, 1997 a shipment of rehabilitation supplies and equipment was sent to the Bethlehem Arab Rehabilitation Society in Beit Jala. The PCRF cooperated with the National Arab American Medical Association in this shipment, which was donated by World Medical Relief, Inc. in Detroit. The NAAMA helped to cover some of the shipping fees, and the value of the shipment was over $320,000.00.

• Shipment of Medical Equipment to NPA/PRCS in Lebanon: In June, 1997 a shipment of disposable medical supplies was sent to the PRCS and the Norwegian People's Aid in Beirut, Lebanon. Two 20 foot containers were shipped to Lebanon by the PCRF in cooperation with Project C.U.R.E. in Denver, Co.

• Dialysis Supplies to Al-Hamshiry Hospital in Lebanon: In May, 1997 the PCRF sent a shipment of dialysis supplies to Al-Hamshiry Hospital in Sidon to help support the new and only dialysis center in Lebanon serving the refugee population there for free. This shipment was part of a joint project with Children International.

• Shipment of Medical Equipment to Gaza: In February, 1997, in cooperation with the Welfare Fund of Geneva, the PCRF sent a forty foot container of donated medical supplies and equipment to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza. This shipment was valued at over $450,000.00 and was provided to the PCRF by World Medical Relief, Inc. in Detroit, MI.

• Shipment of Medical Supplies to Refugees in Lebanon: In October, 1996, the PCRF sent a shipment of medical supplies and equipment to the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) in Beirut, Lebanon. This shipment was donated through the Latter-day Saints Charities in Salt Lake City, Utah and is part of an ongoing effort to support on a humanitarian level the Palestinian refugee population in Lebanon.

• Medical Library in Gaza: In September, 1996 the PCRF sent a shipment of medical books donated by the Latter-day Saints Charities in Utah to the Planning and Research Center (PRC) in Gaza City. Over 2000 new medical books were used for a new medical library for the Gaza Strip, enabling doctors there to study new medical procedures and have access to information that may enable them to provide better care for their patients.

• Shipment of Rehabilitation Supplies to Ramallah: In July, 1996 the PCRF sent a shipment of orthopedic supplies to the K. Abu Raya Rehabiliation Center in Ramallah, which specializes in the care of spinal cord injured youths. This shipment arrived just in time, as the outbreak of full-scale fighting for three days in the West Bank left over 1,000 Palestinians injured by gunfire. Many of the supplies we sent, which were donated through the Latter-day Saints Charities in Salt Lake City, UT were used during the fighting.

• Ilizarov Orthopedic Supplies: In December, 1995 a shipment of Ilizarov Orthopedic Surgical supplies were shipped by the PCRF (through a generous donation by Dr. Vladimir Schwartsman) to Dr. Rustom Nammeri at Makassed Hospital in East Jerusalem. This was part of an ongoing project that included a training course for Dr. Nammeri and sending Dr. Schwartsman to Palestine to train doctors there. Over 50 cases were treated with these surgical supplies.

•Shipment of Medicine to South Lebanon: In April/May, 1996, following the Israeli military attacks in South Lebanon, the PCRF organized a shipment of medicine to refugees in Lebanon. This was donated by the Palestinian community in Doha, Qatar.

• Wheelchairs to the West Bank: in 1995, the PCRF sent an electric and standing wheelchair was sent for one rehabilitation center in East Jerusalem and a crippled boy in a West Bank refugee camp.

• Ilizarov Bone-Lengthening Equipment: In 1995, the PCRF send a second shipment to Dr. Rustom Nammeri. This one was twice the amount from the 1993 and enabled him to treat dozens of more cases.

• Tissue Expanders: In 1994, the PCRF sent to Dr. Hisham Ammous, a plastic surgeon at Makassed Hospital, thousands of dollars worth of donated tissue expanders to treat burned children. This was after sponsoring Dr. Ammous for a plastic surgery program in the US.

• Ilizarov Bone-Lengthening Equipment: In 1993, the PCRF sent thousands of dollars worth of Ilizarov bone-lengthening materials to Dr. Rustom Nammeri, an orthopedic surgeon at Makassed Hospital in East Jerusalem. This was after we sponsored Dr. Nammeri for an Ilizarov conference in the US. This enabled him to immediately use his new skills on many needy cases in Palestine. Since then he has treated dozens of cases there with PCRF materials.